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Unremittingly everything on Vorlich

Unremittingly everything on Vorlich


Postby ngm1scot » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:02 pm

Route description: Ben Vorlich via Loch Sloy

Munros included on this walk: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Date walked: 31/08/2013

Time taken: 6 hours

Distance: 13.5 km

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I think we must be mad.

We set off from Glasgow to do this pleasurable little hill at 4.30am, Andrew and I. The early start was driven by 2 main things - we both had other things to do later in the day and this way we both got to do our "later things" and get out on a munro. So there was really no debating it this was the only way.

Only when we arrived at the North side of the Erskine Bridge did panic set in: I knew (but had forgotten) that the A82 was closed at night beyond Tarbet for repairs. At least that is what the sign said. I stopped to check out the AA Road Report but there was nothing about Tarbet to be seen. I realised though that it couldn't stay shut all day and decided to continue onwards. As we approached the Tarbet Hotel, a helpful sign indicated that the road was to reopen at 06.00 and it was just about 05.30 now so we pulled over into the car park and caught some zz's for 30 minutes. At 05:57 we headed up Loch Lomondside only to discover that the closed bit of road was North of Inveruglas! Anyway we still had loads of time.

By 06.15 we had our boots on and had started on the dawn walk alongside the Power Station and looking over to a clear summitted Ben Lomond and by 7am had reached the wee cairn by the side of the Dam Road. The path is actually slightly beyond the cairn and to my delight - because I find heathery grassy tussocks incredibly slow going and tiring (sort of like climbing sand dunes) - found a clear path.
IMG_7836 (700x525).jpg
The start of the unremittingly steep path


Up we headed making a remarkably good pace and looking back down the hillside, we were putting clear air between us and the tarmac. After about 45 minutes just where the path seems to split to the left we stopped off and had our first cup of coffee and a snack sitting on two very eminently suitable picnic rocks and taking in the clear views to Ben Vane and A' Chrois.
IMG_7839 (700x525).jpg
A'Chrois in the morning sunshine
IMG_7840 (700x525).jpg
Ben Vane


This hillside is described as unremittingly steep. There is no doubt about it: on the few occasions that the path is flatter, its only to get you to the next even steeper bit. I hadn't been conscious of much rain this week but the ground was saturated and muddy beyond belief and on at least one occasion felt my feet being sucked gradually into the mountain. Putting all my effort into it, my boots were extracted with a loud "Thwiiick" kind of noise and on we went unremittingly upwards, seemingly for ever.
IMG_7843 (700x525).jpg
Unremitting mud


Then the wind began: hitting us full on the left flank as we traversed the hillside and up into what "looked" like the top. The rain came on just pouring down from the sky (although where else would it come from?). The path became rockier and more interesting and by now we could look back to see the South end of Loch Lomond.
IMG_7844 (525x700).jpg
Looking back to Loch Lomond
IMG_7845 (700x525).jpg
Cloud trailing in
A second stop for an apple and a look at the glen spreading below us to the West of the Little Hills and then the unremitting cloud engulfed us.
IMG_7848 (525x700).jpg
Loch Arklet in sunshine through cloud
IMG_7849 (700x525).jpg
The Little Hills through a lot of cloud
A brief thought flitted across our minds - if the mud was bad on the way up what on earth will it be like now with some more rain added to it? It was a question to which we found out the answer much later.

My phone battery and therefore my camera died at this stage but there was little in the way of views, except of enveloping white cloud.

The route was now an up and down one as the now very good and for the most part, solid path wound its way up and between the rocky summits of lower Ben Vorlich, eventually leading us on to a path traversing up and across the final lump towards the Trig point. Just as we turned sharp right to climb up the last 30m or so, Vorlich's protecting cloud threw its worst at us: the wind resumed but was incomparable to what we had had before this time it was easily 40mph and which of course helped us up the final bit but the sting in the tail was the unremitting ice cold hailstones which joined in the constant wind storm.

I had decided against Gaiters and Waterproof trousers today - it looked fine and although the forecast was for mixed weather, my optimistic self saw "occasional heavy showers" as being just that: few and far between. My trousers were soaked and shortly after the perfect storm began, so was everything else and I felt my socks absorb the icy wetness and transmit it all the way down to my already cold toes.

Although we sat down at the Trig, it was 15 seconds if that and then headed over to the real top where Andrew took a picture of me in the storm, but looking happy. There was no debate about it - we would head down to our second stopping point which was sheltered by crags on both sides to have breakfast or was it lunch. It was hard to tell as it was now only 09.45. Andrew, thankfully, took this one.
Me at the top of Ben Vorlich loch Lomond.jpg


Of course seasoned walkers will know what happened next. No sooner had we descended from the top, the rain stopped, the wind stopped and the cloud lifted and the sun began to burn a hole in the clouds which got unremittingly bigger as we went further down the rocky path.

Normally on our walks one of us falls on something. Martin is usually the most likely candidate, the other John next most likely, me after that and Andrew seems to have only "slipped" but never quite made it to the ground. As I was pondering my good fortune at having stayed upright, I slipped on a wet rock. But no damage done yet.

Once we started on the steep - sorry, unremittingly steep - descent I managed to find 4 particularly interesting pieces of muddy peat to slip on and fall into. I'm sad to say that I eventually came to enjoy the experience. We started to meet others heading uphill now and with the usual hillwalking courtesies wished them a good day and we reached the tarmac road again just an hour and three quarters after leaving the summit. By now it was becoming really hot but we got a good pace going back along to the car park, happy with our days work almost because of the steepness, the cloud, the rain, the hail, the sunshine and not forgetting the unremitting mud.
ngm1scot
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Re: Unremittingly everything on Vorlich

Postby Collaciotach » Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:31 pm

haha .. nice one :clap:

Yet to undertake this one will wait for frost and follow your example of an early start to avoid the hordes :wink:
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Collaciotach
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Re: Unremittingly everything on Vorlich

Postby ngm1scot » Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:42 am

I think frosty would be great - especially after a dry spell so as to avoid any ice - and the clearer air would certainly give you great views. We'll certainly do this one again maybe from Ardlui and coming back down the little hills route
ngm1scot
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 109
Munros:54   Corbetts:2
Fionas:1   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:7   
Joined: Jul 4, 2011

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